This PhD project is one of several fully-funded studentships which are available within the Centre for Doctoral Training in Healthcare Technology (CDT-HT) within the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering starting October 2015. This CDT brings together complementary expertise to provide a training programme to engineers and scientists which will prepare them for future challenges associated with design, manufacture and implementation of healthcare-related technologies. It will also provide a supportive and exciting environment for students, build relationships between teams in collaborating universities and create links with industry.

Osteoporosis is the most common bone disease and affects more than 200M people worldwide. Bone fractures as a consequence of poor bone quality present a significant burden to the public health system. The inevitable increase in incidence of bone damage highlights the critical ‘need’ to develop innovative strategies for efficient regenerative biomaterials. Current best-in-class calcium phosphate cements are very successful for bone defect filling around fractures and hip or knee joint replacements. However there are certain clinical cases where they should not be used: paediatrics, infected sites and compromised blood circulation. Such cements are primarily designed for structure support rather than encourage new bone to form, as they are either too dense or of wrong pore size for blood flow.

This research aims to develop an injectable biomaterial that would be a successful candidate for repair of bone fractures where blood circulation has been compromised. The cement would demonstrate: (1) sufficient porosity suitable for early and rapid blood flow; (2) mechanical robustness to fill a defect and remain in place and (3) capacity to deliver nanoparticulate materials to encourage bone growth and reduce the occurrence of osteopgorosis.

This PhD project involves an Irish company (PBC Ltd) that specialises in delivering next generation phosphate nanoparticle (NP) based materials for improved new bone formation. The NP will be functionalised using QUB patented RALA peptide encapsulation technology and will be added to a thermo-responsive injectable hydrogel. The innovative NP loaded hydrogel system will be assessed for functionality in terms of chemical, rheological mechanical and biological requirements to ensure its successful application in the treatment of osteoporotic bone repair.

The successful applicant will spend 4 weeks per annum at the company of the industrial partner, which will be invaluable in terms of developing skills in advanced materials synthesis, characterisation and biological testing.

Applicants should hold or expect to hold a 2.1 Hons (or equivalent) degree in a relevant discipline such as Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Pharmacy, Chemistry or Materials Science. It is essential that the candidate has an enthusiastic attitude towards undertaking research in the field of Healthcare Technology and is willing to travel to both academic and industrial collaborators for placements, training courses and dissemination activities.

Further details of the project and instructions on how to make an application can be found on our website: - http://www.qub.ac.uk/mechaero

Applications should be made electronically through the Queen’s online application portal athttp://go.qub.ac.uk/pgapply

This studentship provides fees and a maintenance tax free stipend of up to £18,500 for UK nationals.

Informal inquiries may be addressed to Dr Dan Sun (email: d.sun<στο>qub.ac.uk).